Suppose a, b, c are real numbers such that a+b+c=1 and a2+b2+c2=1. Prove that a3+b3+c3≤1.
Solution
First note that 0=(a+b+c)2−(a2+b2+c2)=2(ab+bc+ca). Using a+b=1−c, we then obtain 0=ab+bc+ca=ab+c(a+b)=ab+c(1−c), i.e. ab=c(c−1) and so abc=c2(c−1)≤0 because a2+b2+c2=1 implies c≤1. Finally, 1=(a2+b2+c2)(a+b+c)=a3+b3+c3+ab(a+b)+bc(b+c)+ca(c+a)=a3+b3+c3+ab(1−c)+bc(1−a)+ca(1−b)=a3+b3+c3−3abc+ab+bc+ca, hence a3+b3+c3=1+3abc≤1.
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.